Questlove appears to reference Will Smith slap onstage at Grammys 2022

Questlove appeared to make a reference to the Will Smith drama at last week’s Oscars, while presenting at the 2022 Grammy Awards.

The producer had his Oscar win for Best Documentary Feature – for his film Summer of Soul – overshadowed after Smith slapped presenter Chris Rock as the comedian was announcing the award.

While presenting the award for Song of the Year – which went to “Leave the Door Open”, by Bruno Mars and Anderson Paak’s collaborative project Silk Sonic – the musician and producer quipped: “I trust you people will stay 500 feet away from me.”

His remark prompted delight from viewers who tuned in to watch the ceremony, with many saying he “deserved his moment”.

“I’ll let Questlove make his lil joke cause his moment got overshadowed last week,” one fan tweeted.

“Appreciate him making a good, lighthearted joke. Not too serious, not bitter. It was just right,” another said.

One fan commented: “Questlove had every right to make that joke and then some. Love him so much.”

Following the dramatic altercation between Smith and Rock at the Oscars, the King Richard star sent a resignation letter to the Academy, stripping him of his membership to the Oscars awards body.

On Friday (1 April), five days after slapping Chris Rock at the 2022 ceremony on stage, Smith made the decision to step down following reports he would face disciplinary action.

The actor was set to find out what Academy board members, including Whoopi Goldberg, Steven Spielberg and Laura Dern, had decided on 18 April. Academy president David Rubin accepted Smith’s resignation, but said: “We will continue to move forward with our disciplinary proceedings against Mr Smith for violations of the Academy’s Standards of Conduct, in advance of our next scheduled board meeting on April 18.”

Follow live updates from the Grammy Awards here. See the updated list of winners in full here.